Cement fence-post.



, EATENTED AEE-z8, 1903.v

La .Al

CEMENT EENcE PosT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1902.

' .AUORNEY f No MODEL.

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UNITED STATES vPATENT CFFICE.

LEVERETT A. PRATT, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

CEMENT FENCE-POST.

.SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 726,751, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed May 6. 1902. Serial No. 106,162. (No model.)` i i i L70 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVERETT A. PRATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cement Fence-Posts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cement posts and similar articles; and the improvement pertains particularly to the construction and arirangement of an internal reinforcingcore adapted to be embedded in the cement when the post is molded. Y

The objects of the improvement are to com bine with the crimped reinforcing-wire a reinforcing-core of wood or other suitable materialwhereby a composite reinforcing member is produced which imparts to the post tensile strength to resist longitudinal stress and which also adds lateral stiffness and stability,

while producing a lighter post. These objects and certain others which will appear further in this specification are attained by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a part vertical section of a cementpostembodyingmyimprovements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the composite core inverted. Fig. 3 is a front view of the core. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line y y of Fig. 1.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the device is constructed by combining with the crimped reinforcing strip or wire A a Wooden or other suitable core B, preferably tapered to correspond with the taper of the post. The wire A is secured atintervals to the wooden core B by staples C, driven into the core. In practice I prefer to insert a distance-piece D in the loop of the staple before it is driven, thereby osetting the wire A from the core and allowing the cement. to freely surround both the core and the wire. I also provide projections E on the core to irmlyanchor the cement and to prevent cracking. These projections may be formed in any suitable way; but it is easy and convenient to form them by driving nails partly into the core, allowing their heads t0 pIOljGt. Y At the lower end of the core is a loop Foi"V suflicient-length to project slightly below the bottom of the post when the cement is in place. The office of this loop is lo suspend the core and the post while the cement is s'ettin, .j;.` v

The construction above described enables me to utilize a method of molding that produces perfect cement posts at a small fraction of the cost of molding them horizontally in the ordinary way. v

In molding the postv l first insert the core B, with its crimped wire A attached, in' a twopart mold having the shape of the completed post. This moldis divided longitudinally and is clamped to the projecting loops fnof the wire A. The core B, carrying the wireA and the mold, is then inverted and suspended by means of the loop F from any convenient support. vCement or .concrete is introduced at the upper end of the mold and the mold is allowed to hang until the material sets. The mold is then removed, leaving the complete post hanging from the loop F to thoroughly season. By this means I produce a core for cement posts that not only holds the wires accurately in position While being inserted in the mold, but imparts lightness and lateral stiffness to the post, and also provides means for suspending the post and mold so as to occupy the least possible room while the cement is hardening. It'also provides for removing the mold without liability of cracking or marring the post, since no lateral strains can be set up in the 'post while itis freely suspended from the loop F, secured to the embedded core. t

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A strengthening member for cement posts comprising alongitudinal wooden core; metallic strips extending lengthwise said core on opposite sides thereof; fastening means for securing the strips to the coreat intervals throughout its length; and a suspensionloop secured to the lower end of the core all arranged for the purpose set forth.

2. A strengthening member for cement posts comprising a central longitudinal wooden core; crimped metallic strips extending lengthwise said core on opposite sides thereof; fastening means for securing the strips 'loo to the core; and a suspensionloop secured to the lower end of the core.

3. A strengthening member for cement posts comprising a longitudinal wooden core; crimped metallic strips extending lengthwise said core on opposite sides thereof; distancepieces between said crimped strips and core; staples for securing the-strips and distancepieces to the core; lateral projections on said core, and a suspension-loop secured to the lower end of the core.

4. A strengthening member for cement posts comprisingalongitudinal core; crimped metal strips extending lengthwise said core on opposite sides thereof; fastening means for securing the strips to the core; lateral projections on said core; and a suspension-loop secured to the lower end of the core.

5. A strengthening member for cement posts com prising a longitudinal core; crimped metal strips extending lengthwise said core on opposite sides thereof; means for offsetting the strips from the core, and means for securing them in the position so offset, at intervals throughout the length of the core.

6. In a strengthening member for cement posts, a longitudinal wooden core; metal loops secured to one side of the core and projecting outwardly therefrom; and a loop secured to one end of the core adapted to sus 3o pend it in a Vertical position.

7. A post comprising in combination a central longitudinal wooden core; a crimped metal strip extending lengthwise said core on one side thereof; a crimped metal strip lo- 35 cated on the opposite side of said core and having projecting loops; means secured to the core for supporting the strips a short distance from the core; a suspension-loop secured to one end of the core; and a layer of 4o cement permanently molded around said core and strips. 8. A post comprisingin combination a central longitudinal wooden core; a wire extending lengthwise said core on one side thereof; 4;

a wire located on the opposite side of said core and having projecting loops; means secured to the core for supporting said wires a short distance from the core; a suspensionloop secured to one end of the core; and a go 

